PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Item No.        4c 
Date of Meeting     June 22, 2010 
DATE:    June 22, 2010 
TO:      Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:    Chief Colleen Wilson 
SUBJECT:  Special Order of Business  WASPC Accreditation 

On May 19, 2010, the Port of Seattle Police Department was formally recognized as an
accredited agency by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC). 
WASPC was founded in 1963 and consists of executive and top management personnel from law
enforcement agencies throughout the state of Washington. In 1976, WASPC appointed a task
force to develop "standards and goals" for Washington state law enforcement and, as a result, the
WASPC Accreditation Program was born. The Accreditation Program has grown and evolved
over the years and currently consists of 140 specific standards that each agency seeking WASPC
accreditation recognition must meet. These standards represent contemporary law enforcement
best practices and industry standards. The subject matter of these standards covers virtually all
of the vital policy and procedural areas that are critical for a professional law enforcement
agency's success. 
Benefits of participation in the WASPC Accreditation Program include: 
Increased pride in the agency; 
Enhanced administrative and operational effectiveness; 
Systemized self-assessment; 
Confidence that recruitment, selection and promotion processes are fair and equitable; 
Improved morale within the police agency; 
Strengthened understanding of agency policies and procedures by all police personnel; 
Decreased susceptibility to civil litigation; 
Greater public confidence in the agency; and 
State and local acknowledgment of professional competence.